


This Could Be A Home

by DarkMoonMaiden



Series: Nano Origins [1]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: BAMF!Nano, Betrayal, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Violence, Urban Magic Yogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkMoonMaiden/pseuds/DarkMoonMaiden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The origins of Nanosounds: from a frightened and very much human apprentice to a powerful and vengeful fae.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been something that I've had in my head for months and I'm finally getting around to writing it. Sorry for any mistakes!

_She was shaking uncontrollably, leaning heavily against the closed door and holding the ceremonial dagger out in front of her. The creature let out a gurgling sound, blank white eyes staring at her. A tentacle started to emerge from the sludge of purple, inching towards her. The floorboards hissed when they came into contact with whatever goo was oozing from its pores._

_“S-Sjin?” Kim cried in a broken voice, banging on the door with the hand that wasn’t holding the knife. “Sjin, I need you to open the door. Please.”_

_She could hear his labored breathing on the other side of the door, and she felt as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest as she waited for his response._

_The extra locks on the door clicked shut, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach. “Sjin?” she called louder, voice going shrill. “Sjin, what are you doing? Get me out of here.”_

_On the other side of the door, the farmer turned witch shook violently, moving slowly away from the door. “I’m sorry, Kim,” he croaked out, not sure if she could hear him._

_Her screams of fear morphed into ones of agony, melding with inhuman gurgles, and Sjin took off running._

 

* * *

 

Even though her feet ached from the hard gravel, Kim forced herself to keep going, walking almost without thinking. A car or truck whizzed by her every so often, their headlights lighting her path and momentarily blinding her. None of them stopped, and she didn’t blame them--most people knew better than to pick up strange women on the side of the road at night, fearing the possible hungry fae they’d have in the car with them.

Earlier, when she had attempted to ride the bus out of town, Kim had immediately known that it wasn’t going to work. At the sight of her purple arm and eye, people shuffled to seats further away from her, sending her nervous and disgusted glances.

So it wasn’t a surprise when the bus driver slowly approached her during their rest stop and firmly asked her to leave, his hand creeping towards the wand on his belt.

Kim had wanted to fight him, to scream and stamp her feet and cry. She didn’t want to have this bizarre skin, and it didn’t change the fact that she was still _herself._ She wasn’t inherently evil now, even if she did occasionally hear whispers from people that weren’t there. She'd been human less than twenty-four hours ago; didn't that count for _something?_  

The man asked her again to leave, and she didn't fight him. There wasn’t a point.

She gathered her bags and warily made her way to the exit, aware of the eyes that were glued to her as she left. She passed a woman who muttered a curse at her as she passed, signing a protection sigil in the air. Kim hated how much it stung.

After being ejected from the bus, she had started walking next to the interstate, going on through the night. The sky was already starting to lighten to a dark blue as the sun slowly started to rise.

A van rumbled passed her, and she didn’t give it much thought until it pulled off to the side of the road and slowed to a stop. Her attention snapped to it, watching the innocently idled van.

Her grip on her bags tightened and her walking slowed as she approached the vehicle, having no other option. She gave the back doors a wide berth, going so far as walking in the ditch to get away, before the passenger side window rolled down and someone called out a greeting.

Kim held her breath as she finally approached the open window, the purple skin on her arm swirling in distress. A woman was leaning towards the open window from the driver’s seat, wearing a disarming smile.

She was pretty, with brown hair, rainbow-colored bangs and a colorful sweater. Numerous charms were wrapped around her wrists, a few also hanging from her neck. She was human, Kim could tell, but there was still the soft smell of magic woven in with the floral scent coming from of the van, hinting that she was a witch of some kind.

Kim knew when the witch saw the milky, purple eye by the way her smile faltered as she instinctually leaned back. Kim prepared for her to just drive off, possibly yell a few obscenities, but instead, the smile returned.

“Where ya headed?” the witch asked, leaning towards the passenger side window with a disarming smile.

Kim hesitated before responding, “Anywhere.”

The witch frowned in confusion. “Is that a club?”

“N-no, I mean in the literal sense. Any place is fine,” Kim stuttered out, taken aback.

The lady in the van smiled again. “Alright. Then hop in,” she chirped, leaning further over to push open the door. “I’ll give you a ride as far anywhere as I can on my way home, ‘kay?”

Kim froze for a moment, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. Should she take up this stranger on the ride? She wasn’t getting any bad intentions coming off of her, but normal people didn’t stop and pick up random fae walking on the side of the road, especially one with the flux.

Finally, Kim sighed and slung her back onto the floor of the passenger’s seat. Why not. If it turned out to be a bad idea, she felt as if she was powerful enough to fight back and flee.

The witch started driving when the door was closed and Kim was safely buckled in. Kim took the moment of silence to take a closer look around the van, especially in the backseat. There was a protection charm painted lime green dangling from the rearview window, and there were buckets overflowing with flowers and other greenery of all types in the back.

“I run a flower shop,” the witch explained, noticing where Kim was staring. “Our usual delivery man was sick, so I had to fill in and go pick the flowers up.” Kim nodded in understanding, untwisting her body to face the road in front of them. “What’s your name? I’m Zoey.”

She naturally opened her mouth to respond with “Kim,” but she stopped herself. No, that wasn’t a name that felt right anymore. Kim had been the name that Sjin had helped her pick, and it made her stomach roll at the idea of keeping it. (Plus, if people came across the mess in that abandoned house and somehow connected it to her, she didn’t want any sort of trail back to her).

Zoey’s hand flew to her mouth, startling Kim out of her thoughts. “Oh! Um, s-sorry, I know fae don’t like giving out their names, especially to strangers,” she said hurriedly. “Sorry, the question just slipped out. You don’t need to answer.”

Kim hadn’t even been thinking about that, but there was no need to say so and raise suspicions. “No, you’re fine,” she assured her. “My name’s--Nanosounds.” The name slipped out without any thought, rolling smoothly off her tongue.

Zoey smiled at her. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Nanosounds.”

The fae’s chest fluttered with excitement at the use of the name, and she grinned back. Nanosounds already felt more like a name than Kim ever had.

“So, Nanosounds, do you have any direction or idea where you wanna head, besides ‘anywhere’?”

Nano shook her head. “However far you’re willing to take me will be perfectly fine,” she said.

Zoey hummed thoughtfully, thumb tapping on the steering wheel along to the song on the radio. “Well, I can take you to the city with me, if you want,” she said. “It’s a good place to disappear and make a new life.”

Nano hesitated before shrugging. “Sure,” she said out loud. “Sounds lovely.” It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to go.

Zoey grinned at her. “Great. We still have, like, three hours, though, so you can get some sleep if you want. I imagine all of that walking has you tired.”

That was true, but Nano wasn’t completely trusting of this new witch. She stayed up for as long as she could, listening to the classic rock pouring from the radio and Zoey’s humming.

It wasn’t long before she started to go cross-eyed with exhaustion, the straight road hypnotizing, and she gave into temptation. She wadded her sweater up and stuffed it between the window and her head, and was asleep in minutes, mind filled with the cloying smell of flowers.

 

* * *

 

She ended up having Zoey drop her off in a town a half hour outside of the city limits.

After her nap, Nano had come to the realization that she was woefully unprepared to live in the city. She only had a couple hundred dollars wadded up in her wallet, and no way of earning an income. The better idea was to lie low in a smaller town so she could spend a bit of time collecting her thoughts and more money.

The receptionist at the dingy motel refused to look Nano in the eye when she asked for a room, but she still handed her a key and a gave her a menacing warning not to destroy the room.

The walls were thin enough that Nano could hear her neighbors having a heated conversation and the smell of old cigarettes clung to the air, but it was all that she could afford at this point. She mourned the dent it put in her wallet, and knew that she was going to have to start her job-hunting swiftly.

She stayed in for the rest of the day, only going out to grab food from the gas station, hidden underneath layers of clothing and a hat. The bored teenager at the cash register didn’t give her a second glance as she rang her up, turning back to her phone as Nano scuttled away.

At dusk, Nano left the motel and headed towards downtown, a bag slung over her shoulder with some things she deemed tradable, while the more important things were locked up in the safe in her room. It didn’t take long for Nano to stumble across the town’s barter shop. It was situated just off of the main strip of shops, a tacky yellow sign taped in the window to announce that it had “The Best Deals In Town!”

Inside was dark, lit only by a few fluorescent lights and sunlight streaming in from the windows. Everything from a cow skull to dried flowers and computer parts were organized haphazardly on shelves and in the display cases.

Behind one of the glass counters was a portly man who was carefully dusting a griffon’s talon. He looked up with a customary smile at jingle of the bell above the door, but it melted away into a hostile frown when he saw whom it was.

“Can I help you?” he asked shortly.

Nano nodded, giving him what she hoped was a friendly and innocent smile. From his reaction, it seemed to be more threatening than she had hoped.

“Hello, I need some supplies,” she chirped, digging around in her bag for her list.

The man pulled back reflexively, scowling at her. “I don’t have anything crazy,” he sneered. “Nothing that a fluxed fae like _you_ would want.”

The words knocked Nano off-kilter, eyes widening. Right. _Fae._ Not human anymore. It was going to be hard to get used to that.  She swallowed compulsively and forced herself to focus and ignore the panic that was welling in the back of her throat.

Nano bit the inside of her mouth to reign in her anger and held out the list with her human hand, staring at him steadily. “I need everything on this list,” she stated confidently.

The man warily took it and scanned it. He outright chuckled before setting it down on the counter, sliding it back towards her. “Of course you do, sweetie,” he said, voice dripping with condescension. “And how do you think you’re gonna pay for all of that, hm?”

Nano hummed thoughtfully, scanning the room again. What could she offer him? She didn’t have much in the way of possessions, but she did have excellent skills in charm casting and circle magic.

“Well, maybe we can strike up a sort of trade,” she said.

The man laughed harshly. “I wasn’t born yesterday, hon,” he spat out. “I’m not dumb enough to make deals with a fae.”

Alright, she’d give him that. Even if she didn’t exactly have the _mindset_ of a fae (yet) didn’t mean that she wasn’t one. A human would be a complete _idiot_ to make a deal right off the bat with a stranger like her.

She could see the back room through a cracked door, and leaning a bit to the side confirmed that it was a spellcraft table next to a cauldron. There were burned out ingredients and broken bottles, and her mind raced as she thought about the combinations the ingredients could be used for. She smirked when it clicked, and she rocked back on her heels triumphantly.

“I’ll help you with whatever charm you’ve been failing miserably at,” she said before she could overthink her plan. It seemed as if her gamble paid off, if the way he straightened indignantly was anything to go by.

His eyes flashed. “What are you talking about?” he spat at her. “Have you been spying on me?”

“I just guessed. It’s not hard to assume that you’ve screwed up a dozen times.” She gestured coolly towards the bottles filled with murky brown and purple liquid, a sign of a failed potion. “From the witch’s breath, I’m guessing it’s a Curse of Misfortune? It’s fine, I know it’s a _difficult_ ritual for more... _inexperienced_ witches.”

His ears started to redden. “If you’re such a bloody expert, then go ahead and try,” he growled. “You do the ritual successfully, and then you’ll get everything on your list.”

She nodded, smirking. “It’s a deal.”

It took a few moments to gather the ingredients, but then she was standing in front of the boiling cauldron, ready. Her hands trembled slightly as she carefully measured out the right amount of dried plants, aware of the man hovering over her, watching her movements like a hawk to ensure that she wasn’t going to create something else.

Nano convinced herself that she had nothing to be worried about. She’d done this spell so many times it was almost second nature, the amounts of ingredients and the ceremonial words known by heart. It was one of the first spells she’d been taught during her apprenticeship to Sjin, and she’d had to make it three or four times a week.

Her heart ached at the memory of him. She forced him out of her thoughts and focused on the table and cauldron in front of her. It hurt too much to think of the man, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted in case the spell went wrong.

Three minutes later, and the mist dissipated as Nano grinned triumphantly, the stone sitting in her human hand. The man gaped at her before snapping his jaw closed with a click, turning away to start shoveling things into a plastic bag while muttering under his breath.

Setting the bag down between them, he held out his hand expectantly, and she pulled it back. “Ah, ah, ah,” she tutted.

Panic and distrust flared in his eyes. “What do you mean?” he asked in disbelief. “I said that if you made this for me, then you would get your shit. I just gave it to you.”

“The deal was that I get everything if I successfully complete the ritual,” she told him. “We didn’t say anything about me actually giving it to you.”

She tossed the rune in the air and caught it, seeing the way the man tensed up in horror and made an aborted motion to catch it. She gave him a shark like grin, watching his face turn an interesting shade of puce.

“What do you _want_?” he finally growled, gritting his teeth.

Nano tossed the rune up one more time before setting it on the table. “Well, _first,_ I want to make sure that you or your little friends don’t try to come after me,” she hummed. “And then, I think, I’d like that Arthana in that display case over there.”

His face was practically purple as he yanked open the display case, throwing the knife down with a clatter. She picked it up delicately, admiring it before slipping it into her bag.

“I’m glad we could do business,” she grinned, plopping the stone down on the counter, where it was quickly swiped up. She turned around without saying anything else.

“Fucking _fae_ ,” he spat out angrily after her.

It made Nano pause in the doorway, but she continued out. As she started walking towards the motel, she couldn’t help but think that the insult didn’t really sting as much as she thought it would.

 

* * *

 

Nano perused over the various crafts and other things laid out on the tables at the outdoor market, admiring the items and pointedly ignoring the stares from the people around her. The event was apparently something that happened every other weekend, a way for the farmers to sell their foods and for the smaller businesses to get more customers.

More than a few people had turned around and started going in the opposite direction when they saw Nano coming, giving her a wide berth. The majority of the people selling their wares refused to sell her anything, or fearfully agreed to any price she offered them.

She turned around from one of the tables and saw someone staring openly at her, eyes wide and focused. Nano sent him a warning glare and quickly picked up her things and strode purposefully away, heading back towards her hotel.

“E-excuse me!”

Fist clenched, Nano whipped around, seeing the man approaching her. “What?” she asked him tersely, hostility rolling off of her.

“Uh--sorry, I saw you and I just--are you the fae that Calvin’s been bitching and moaning about?” the man rushed to say, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“I don’t know any Calvins,” she told him shortly, making a move to leave.

“He’s the one who runs the barter shop off of Main Street,” the man clarified.

“Oh. Then yes, I am.” She couldn’t help the glee it brought her to think that she’d managed to wriggle her way under his skin enough that he was apparently complaining very loudly and constantly about her. She kept her face emotionless, though, not wanting the man to see.

“I saw that charm you made--it was really good,” he said, eyes sparkling. “There aren’t many witches like that around here.”

Nano sighed heavily. “Yes, yes, enough with the sucking up,” she pushed, waving her hand impatiently. “Get to the point, please.”

“Uh, okay,” he stuttered, taken aback. “I was wondering if you could make me a charm of enlightenment. I’ll pay a lot for it--with money, of course, nothing else,” he rushed to add, holding his hands up before she could suggest anything else for payment.

A slow smile started to curl the edges of Nano’s mouth upwards. “Alright,” she said smoothly. She motioned with her head for him to follow her. “Let’s talk money, then.”

 

* * *

 

 

It took Nano almost six months to accumulate enough money that she felt confident she could stay afloat in the city. House and shop hunting took another few weeks, but at the end of it, she had the perfect place selected. It was a two-story shop, with an attic, nestled in a nice neighborhood in (most importantly) neutral territory.

She had her tragically small amount of personal belongings and large stock of magical ingredients packed safely away in boxes, and after renting a U-Haul, she left the sleepy town. She only left a few words to some of repeat customers, leaving them an e-mail address to contact her. (Before she had been gone for a day, there were already ten e-mails from college students begging her for concentration charms).

The building was definitely bare bones--the enchantments from the previous owners had long since faded away, and there wasn’t any wiring upstairs. One of the windows in the front was cracked, and the doors squeaked loudly. But the walls and shelving were sturdy, and the wooden floors would shine beautifully (after a good scrubbing).

The upstairs was only a couple of rooms, separated from the stairs by a door for privacy, and would be wonderful as a small apartment for her to live in. A few ghosts and little sprites had taken residence in the attic above the little living space, but as long as they didn’t bother her, she wouldn’t bother them.

As soon as Nano arrived in the shop, she got to work.

The first thing to do, of course, was to cleanse the house. She needed the energy to be pure so the enchantments would stick and not get tainted by anything untoward. She went around the rooms with practiced efficiency, placing a few small piles of salts and herbs in strategic places around the ground level.

When that was done, Nano set to work on the protection charms. She knew that it would take a few months before they fully set in and were at full strength, and she didn’t want to waste a second.

The display cabinets and shelves were already in the shop, and she liked them enough that she didn’t feel the need to replace them. (The fact that money was tight, of course, factored into this decision). She’d gathered enough things to fill the shelves and cases to the brim, organized but tightly cramped, and have things left over for the back.

It was well into her third night in the shop that she finished. She ordered celebratory Chinese food from a nearby place, too exhausted to cook anything properly. She sat in the middle of her empty living room, the food spread out in front of her, and stared out into the city, a dreamy smile spreading over her face.

 

* * *

 

Nano had been in the city for only a couple of weeks, but no one had approached her. That was to be expected, she thought dully to herself. Not many people wanted to interact with someone who was fluxed, always wary of catching it or being around a cursed individual, and they were even less likely to buy _charms_ from one.

Luckily, the people back in the small town still emailed her, eager for charms. The number of college students desperate for charms and potions to keep them awake and receptive to learning was ever growing, and past customers would discreetly pass her email or address on to their friends. It was enough to keep her afloat while she waited for her business to start thriving in the city.

She generally tried to wear a glamor out in public, but that was only to stop her purple skin from swirling and glowing in distracting manners, the color remaining. She had one or two in the back of her closet that managed to completely hide the purple, leaving the areas that were usually purple lighter than her human skin tone, but those burned out in merely a couple of hours. And having her skin suddenly revert back to its vibrant purple tones was worse than just having the moving skin, she had found out.

Sighing heavily, Nano stirred her tea, watching the sugar dissolve. The barista behind the counter had seemed less than thrilled to see her there, shifting nervously from foot to foot and gaze constantly fleeting over towards her, but she had yet to try and kick Nano out. The fae had tried to placate her by sitting in the corner, hidden from the majority of the other’s eyes until they were at the counter. She was strong headed enough to refuse to leave, but was nice enough to know that it would bring bad business to have someone tainted in the shop.

Her skin burned from someone staring at it, and she finally glanced up, seeking the person out. It was a tall, blond-haired man, wearing a stained shirt and a scraggly goatee. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts, and he stared straight at her right side.

Annoyance flared up in her stomach, and she glared fiercely at him. The man suddenly seemed to notice what he was doing, physically jumping back. His cheeks flushed brightly and he quickly looked down, breaking eye contact. He hurriedly ordered his drink and scuttled away, and Nano relaxed, satisfied.

 

* * *

 

After word started to steadily spread about her business and people began seeking her out for her poppets and charms, the kelpie showed up.

The energy field around the shop rippled around her before they entered, warning her that someone (or something--you never knew in this city) powerful was about to enter the shop.

He came in at the end of the day, when she had just finished counting her earnings for the day and was putting the cash safely in the safe. He threw the door open and walked in with a swagger, hands stuffed in his pockets and an unlit cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. Behind him was a much quieter fae, who took in the surroundings with glassy eyes. He seemed to try and blend in with the background, letting the other man take the lead, but Nano kept a close eye on him.

“Can I help you?” she asked calmly, standing up straighter. She’d barely managed to finish speaking before the ginger started talking.

“You’re the fluxed fae everyone’s been talking about, then?” he asked loudly, sounding bored even as his eyes stared straight at her.

Nano immediately felt a twinge of annoyance, and her guard was fully raised, at this point. “More than likely,”  she stated tersely. “Who wants to know?”

The man didn’t answer, swaggering closer and wearing a shark like grin. “You haven't paid dues to the court in charge of this area,” he growled. “You've got a lot of nerve to settle down in another court’s territory, darlin’.”

Her grip tightened on the counter. “This area is neutral,” she spat at him.

“It’s close enough that it counts as ours,” he shot back. “When shit happens, the people tend to turn to us for help. That gives us certain...rights to this area, don’t it, mate?” The question was directed at the other fae, who nodded.

“Protection doesn’t come without a price,” the man with piercing blue eyes agreed.

Nano’s fist tightened reflexively. “What if I don’t need your protection?” she ground out from behind her teeth.

His lips quirked into a grin. “ _Everyone_ needs protection,” the ginger said. “Especially new little girls like you in the big city. You never know what kind of fae are just around the corner.”

Nano snorted rudely. “Fae like _me_ are around the corner,” she purred. She leaned over the counter and felt her purple skin minutely move. She saw him catch the movement, his eyes widening and shoulders tensing.

“Anyway,” she said smoothly, reigning in the dangerous aura she was emitting. “In case you were too dumb to notice the large ‘closed’ sign on the door, we’re _closed._ So you can— _oi!_ ”

The other fae had been curiously poking one of the statues, and he jumped when she snatched it away from him. “Don’t touch that,” she spat at him. “Anything you break, you’re paying for. _Twice the price_.”

His eyes widened and he stepped back, holding up his hands in a gesture peace. “I was just lookin’,” he defended himself. “No harm in lookin’, is there?”

Nano grunted in disbelief at his words, hunched on the counter and glaring at him pointedly. His tone rubbed over Nano’s skin the wrong way, making her jaw clench. Every fiber of her being and the energy around her crackled with warning and hostility; these two were only here for their own agenda, and it irked Nano in every way possible.

“Back to the topic on hand,” the ginger intervened smoothly. “You’ll be honored and happy to know that we’re representing the Garbage Court.”

They stared at each other for a few moments. “And?” Nano pressed.

The ginger’s face scrunched. “’And’ _what_?” he demanded.

“That name means nothing to me,” she told him bluntly. “And frankly, a name like that shouldn’t be advertised. The bloody _Garbage Court_? Were all the good names taken?”

“It doesn’t mean anything to you—what the bloody hell is _wrong_ with you—“

“Anyways, I don’t care about whatever court you belong to,” she interrupted with a dismissive wave. “I’m sure you’re gonna say that you’re the best court in the city, you can kick anyone’s arse, blah blah blah. But if your court is truly trying to send out that message, they shouldn’t send some weakling like you over. I don’t think you could do much protecting--a love tap would knock you over.”

He bared his teeth, face reddening with rage. “If you think I can’t take on a fluxed piece of shit like you, then you’re--”

“Smiffy,” the gargoyle interjected warningly, laying a placating hand on his shoulder.

The kelpie, now identified as Smiffy, stared at his companion for a few moments. The silent conversation that they were having set Nano’s teeth further on edge, but she chose not to speak as they finally stopped. Smiffy turned around and sighed heavily.

“Fuckin’ hell, Trott should’ve come here,” Smiffy muttered, running a hand over his face. “He’s the diplomatic one.”

Judging from these two, she couldn’t really see him being much better, Nano mused to herself. She watched warily as the kelpie’s body language and facial expression suddenly changed, softening and becoming less threatening.

“Now, listen, sweetheart,” Smiffy said after a long sigh, lowering his voice to an intimate level. He crossed his arms on the counter and leaned forward, making Nano lean back to maintain some distance and sneer at him. “Let’s put that bad blood behind us. From one fae to another, we both know that it’s dangerous to go around without a court.”

She snorted derisively. “I’m fine just on my own,” she said, but even as the words left her mouth, she could feel doubt creep in.

Uncertainty started to color Nano’s thoughts. _Was_ it dangerous to go without a court? She knew that fae were almost always in a court, with a rare few that were loners. But now that she thought about it, those fae by themselves tended to be the most vicious and cruel, bitter and going immediately for the jugular.

He seemed to latch on to her uncertainty. “Now, you’re just lying to yourself,” he said in a sickly sweet tone. “I can see it on your face, you know I’m right. There’s no shame in needing some sort of support.”

Nano’s mind started to wander, feeling fuzzy around the edges. He was right. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to pledge allegiance to a fae court. That kind witch who had picked her up off the side of the road, those college students who sent clients to her… It was like he was saying: it would be good to have someone who had her back, no matter what.

_Like Sjin did_? a raspy voice whispered in the back of her mind.

The name immediately snapped her back to reality. Her eyes widened as it clicked into place that the kelpie had been using his magic on her. Her gaze narrowed and her lips curled into a snarl. The kelpie startled back, opening his mouth to speak, but she didn’t give him a chance.

At the twitch of her fingers, the wards immediately sprung into action, stopping Smith in the middle of his sentence. The floorboards under their feet seemed to turn to liquid, moving in waves and knocking them off balance. When they stumbled back, a gust of air lifted them off of their feet and shoved them out the door. She cackled when she saw their gaping faces as they landed hard on the sidewalk.

“As you can see, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Nano purred, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and hip cocked to the side. “If I see any of you lot near my shop again, it’ll be worse. Now fuck off.” She twirled on her heel into the building, not looking back. The door slammed shut behind her, the wards up at full strength.

 

* * *

 

Nano saw the strange blond man in the coffee shop again the next day, and then the day after. She had a sneaking suspicion that he had been trying to find her, but it seemed as if he had a set schedule that just so happened to coincide with hers.

But every time he walked into the coffee house, his eyes would be drawn to her, and stick to her while he went through the motions of ordering his coffee. Every time he visited, he would sit at a table nearby, surreptitiously glance at her while slurping at his sugary sweet drink.

It reached a peak when he actually ended up tripping over someone and spilling his drink everywhere while walking without taking his eyes off of Nano. Scowling, she’d pushed up from the table and walked towards him, fists clenched. The woman he’d run into was quick to leave at the sight of the fluxed woman walking towards her, but the man was struggling to stand, slipping in the coffee and nearly falling again.

“Hello,” she said shortly. “I can’t help but notice you’ve been bloody staring at me for the past few weeks. Care to try and defend yourself?”

He spluttered a few times, struggling to put together words. “I’m sorry, I-I-I was just interested in the f-flux, I’ve been learning about it, and I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to ask you about it—“

Her stomach clenched with rage. _Great_. He had been observing her like she'd been a creature in a cage at a zoo. Nano scoffed and stormed over to her table, picking up her bag.

“N-no, wait, it’s not like that—“

“I won’t become your guinea pig, so you should just go ahead and give up,” she said venomously.

“I don’t want you to be a guinea pig, I’m not that kind of scientist!” he hurriedly defended himself, voice rising in pitch. “I’m just—I find it fascinating. I’m not currently experimenting on it or anything.”

“Your lab coat says otherwise,” she said pointedly, glancing down.

“O-oh! Well, I _am_ a scientist, or—really more an engineer, if we’re getting technical. I work with a lot of technology and…things. I make computers and mix ‘em with magic.”

“So…technomancy?” Nano clarified. She was unable to stop her interest from being piqued.

“Something similar, but it’s a bit more complex than that,” he said. His cheeks flushed. “Um, I could, er, explain it, if you’d be willing to have a coffee with me? N-not in a romantic sense! Just to talk about my work.”

Nano hesitated a moment, looking him up and down. He didn’t _look_ like much, but she knew that looks could be deceiving (case in point: herself). Finally, she shrugged and nodded. _Screw it_.

“Brilliant! I’m Lalna,” he introduced himself, holding out his hand. He faltered when she pointedly raised her right hand and wiggled her fingers, and he pulled back, offering her a wave instead. “Oh! Er, is it…contagious?”

Nano blinked a couple of times, taken aback by the question. Most of the time, people didn’t bother to ask, or when they did, they said it with an accusatory tone. “It’s not,” she reassured him. _I don’t think it is, at least._

“Ah, alright.” He thrust his hand out again, beaming with innocent confidence.

She hesitated, staring at him incredulously. Her pause made him falter, hand starting to lower. On impulse, she reached out and shook his hand. “I’m Nanosounds.”

The wide grin returned, and she felt her chest lighten.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry this is so long but I couldn't find a good place to cut it off. Also this is baasically unedited? I've read through it a couple of times, but I feel my perfectionism kicking in, and if I don't call it done while I'm satisfied it's never going to be finished otl
> 
> Enjoy!

After the incident with Kim, Sjin and Sips parted ways.

Sips was practically being eaten alive by guilt, and Sjin was worried that he’d left some sort of trail, and that the police would be after him at any time. They had scrubbed down the apartment as well as they could, both in the physical sense and scouring down with magic.

It’d been years, and, for the most part, Sips had been able to move past it. He still had moments where he would sit down and stare at his coffee and think about what kind of girl Kim would have grown up to be, how he had snuffed out an innocent life because of his incompetence. 

Sips saw the way that the others in his court looked at him when he would get into these ruts, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to tell them. He knew that they all had red marks against them, but this was something that he didn’t want to share, something that he felt like he should keep close to his heart. He had been the one who had left Kim alone, and because of that, she was dead. This was his burden to bear.

For the most part, none of the Garbage Court tried to pry into his past, but they made sure that he knew that they were always there to talk. Trott put his hand on his shoulder, squeezing and gently telling him that he could always talk to them if he needed to. Smith and Ross went for the more physical approach to show their love, Ross curling around him tightly or sitting at his feet with his head in the human’s lap, while Smith would offer up a beer or playfully roughhouse with him, giving him casual touches on his arms and shoulders.

But Sips couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. If he talked about it, then it would make it all too real, and bring up the old pain. 

It was better to just let sleeping dogs lie.

***

When Smith and Ross threw the front door open with an angry huff, Trott didn’t even look up from his book.

“Whoa, hey, careful with the door,” Sips exclaimed from his chair, holding up his hands in protest. “We just had to replace that a week ago because you guys got too violent with it.”

Ross placatingly closed the door carefully, muttering a halfhearted apology.

“What’s got you two in such a snit?” Trott finally sighed, closing his book and giving the two a nonplussed look.

“The meeting with the new fae…didn’t go as expected,” Ross said with a grimace.

“That’s an understatement,” Smith snapped out. “She kicked us out on our arses. Literally. She has some  _ ridiculously  _ strong wards up that threw us out.”

Sips’ first reaction was to laugh loudly. Even Trott cracked a smile before scowling in exasperation.

“This is why I don’t send you two out on your own,” he huffed, leaning forward to set his book on the coffee table. “You can’t even handle some newbie fae.”

Smith gaped at him and spluttered indignantly, trying to get a response out. Sips laughed louder, and Ross slipped out of the room to head to the kitchen.

“No, you don’t—Trott, no,  _ really _ —she’s psycho—“

“Can you bring me a beer, Ross?” Sips called into the kitchen, interrupting Smith’s attempts to speak. “I think I need to be a lil’ drunk to hear this explanation.”

Smith shot him a withering glare as he threw himself in the chair across from them, his knee jiggling with angry energy. His attention turned to Trott, who had interlaced his fingers behind his head and was giving the kelpie an expectant look.

“Well? Are you going to tell me how you royally fucked everything up?”

Smith cringed a bit at the disappointed tone in Trott’s voice, but he knew that he’d done all he could in the situation that he’d been in, and his stubbornness reared its head.

“Ross an’ I went down to that bloody shop, like you told us to,” Smith said from behind his gritted teeth. “And first of all, that fucking hole in the wall was damn near impossible to find.”

“Smiffy got lost four times.”

“Shut the fuck up, Ross! Anyways, we got there, and the bitch was immediately feisty. We bantered, she wasn’t budging at all, so I used a little charm on her.”

“Smiffy, you didn’t,” Sips moaned, running his hands over his face. “That’s a  _ terrible  _ idea.”

“It was working,” Smith defended himself, crossing his arms. “She was completely taking the bait. You know how some lone fae are—she’s lonely, doesn't seem to know anybody, blah, blah, blah. She was eating up my words.”

“But…?” Trott prompted. 

Smith let out a tense sigh. “I don’t know, something just--snapped her out of it.,” he burst out, tossing his hands up.

Trott raised an eyebrow, some actual surprise actually filtering into his expression. As much as he ragged on Smith, the kelpie’s magic was extremely powerful. When he had someone completely enthralled with his magic, it was nearly impossible for them to break out of it, unless they were wearing a charm of some sort or had extreme control over their minds.

“Well, that’s certainly interesting,” he hummed.

“I’m telling you, Trott, something’s not  _ right _ about that bitch,” Smith ground out, leaning forward. His eyes were uncharacteristically serious, the usual glint of dangerous playfulness gone.

“And what do you want us to do, hm?” Trott asked him sourly. “Back away and let some no name fae take part of our land?”

“No—for fuck’s sake, that’s not what I’m trying to say.” Smith let out an angry breath and ran his hands over his face. “She’s just—I wouldn’t turn your back on her at any point. She’d rip you to shreds.”

Trott’s face softened slightly, but Smith could still see concern hiding somewhere in his eyes. Sighing, he motioned for the kelpie to come closer. “Lemme see the bruises.”

Smith willingly took off his shirt, and sat down with a huff. Trott ran his fingers down the other man’s back; there were a few scrapes from the sidewalk that were already scabbing over, and the bruises were already fading as Smith’s kelpie magic kicked in and accelerated the healing.

Ross came back into the room, carrying a bag of chips. He offered Sips some before sitting down on the other side of Trott’s legs, his tail coming to wrap around Smith’s waist. The tension started to slowly bleed out of the kelpie as his court surrounded him, their presence comforting and stable.

“We’ll deal with this later,” Trott promised, voice hard and promising violence. “Everything will get sorted out.” The fact that things would get sorted out in their favor went without needing to be voiced.

***

After days upon days of whinging and moaning, Nano finally relented and let Lalna work in the shop with her.

“I’m not gonna pay you well,” she threatened him. “I barely make enough to keep this place afloat as it stands now.”

“That’s fine,” Lalna said with a breezy grin. “I’m still living with my dads, so I don’t have a rent to pay.”

Even though he was absolutely helpless with any sort of poppet or charm making, Lalna proved to be an amazing employee. He had to have the potion recipes written on a scrap of paper and taped above the cauldron, but he was able to efficiently and effectively make them. He boastingly told her that it was because of his experience with technology, but Nano had a strong feeling that it was just sheer, dumb luck.

His presence also started attracting new customers. Apparently, his family was well known and respected in the city, and so by extension, Nano was seen with more respect and had more customers flooding in. People were still wary around her, but were willing to employ her services and use her charms.

“What the bloody hell do your parents  _ do  _ that makes people worship at their feet?” Nano had asked incredulously after a particular deal that had ended with the price being enough to pay the bills for two months.

Lalna shrugged. “My dad’s a powerful hearthwitch that’s done a lot for the city,” he explained. “He helped with keeping the heart of the city under control. Pops is one of the few dwarves actually living in the city and used to be a great jeweler.”

Nano hummed in acknowledgement, crossing her arms. Of  _ course _ Lalna’s parents were extremely respected members of the city. It was simultaneously a blessing and a curse: it brought in business, yes, but now her chances of survival were drastically reduced when they decided she shouldn’t be in the picture any longer.

She wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not, but Lalna never brought up her meeting his family. He often mentioned his family, but generally steered clear of his fathers.

“I also have a twin, you know,” Lalna said proudly. “We’re exactly alike.”

Nano looked up in horror. “Oh Goddess, there are  _ two _ of you? How has the world not descended into ruin yet?”

“I’m not  _ that _ bad,” Lalna shouted defensively. “Don’t make that face! I’m not!”

Nano snorted and went back to her work.

***

The first interaction Nano had with Lalna’s family happened a couple months into his employment. After failing to create certain runes for the sixth time and severely depleting their supplies, Lalna had delicately suggested they go and ask another witch.

“She’s family, and I don’t think the runic altar will survive if you keep hitting it like that,” Lalna said nervously, watching as Nano screamed into her hands.

“Y’know what? Fine,” she snarled, throwing up her hands. “Fine, I give up. Call her and put in the order.”

Nano was awestruck the first time she saw the witch. Lomadia was tall and almost elven in appearance. She had sharp blue eyes and blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and dozens of bracelets on her wrists. Her sleeves were rolled up to show intricate tattoos, showing various imagery, including the face of an owl.

“Hullo, Lalna,” she greeted the two. “And…friend.”

Nano self-consciously tugged on her sweater as the woman stared at her in scrutiny.

“Hey, Aunt Lomadia,” Lalna greeted her cheerily. “D’you have those runes ready for us?”

“Just about,” Lomadia said cautiously, eyes still trained on Nano. Her face was impassive, but her eyes bore into the fae with hawk-like intensity. “Nilesy’s finishing up the last one. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“Oh! Right, I nearly forgot.” Lalna put a companionable hand on Nano’s shoulder. “Lom, this is Nanosounds, the one that I’m helping in her store. Nano, this is Lomadia, my aunt. Well, technically  _ not _ my aunt, but close enough.”

“Hullo,” Nano said faintly, raising her human and waving her fingers in greeting.

Lomadia’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll go and get some tea,” she said abruptly. “You two make yourselves comfortable on the couch.”

“She’s going to kill me,” Nano whispered as soon as the woman had left the room. “Lalna, I need to leave.”

“Oh, calm down,” Lalna snorted, shaking his head and taking off his jacket. “You’re overreacting.” She gave him a wide-eyed look, and he instinctively put up his hands in case she tried to punch his shoulder.

Lalna plopped down on the couch, and Nano sat down gingerly on the edge of it, ready to bolt at any second. A few minutes later, Lomadia came in with a tray laden with three teacups and a tea pot. She set it on the table, her face serene as she poured everyone tea and handed them out. Nano made sure to take it with her human hand, nervously trying to hide her purple arm completely with her sweater.

“So, I haven’t seen you around before,” Lomadia said casually. “I’m guessing you’re the witch that opened that new shop downtown?”

“Uh, y-yeah,” Nano said nervously.

“She’s the one I told you about,” Lalna piped up. “The one I’m working for.”

If it was possible, the woman’s smile seemed to become icier. “How nice,” she said, taking another sip of her tea. “You didn’t mention that she had…” She made an aborted move with her hand, no doubt going to gesture to Nano’s fluxed skin.

She cleared her throat, not finishing the sentence. “Come in, please,” she said, and motioned for them to follow her into the living room.

“Lal, darling, will you help me get the tea ready? Nilesy and the bloody cat knocked over the teapot right before you two showed up.”

It wasn’t the most subtle attempt to get Lalna alone, but judging from the barely contained anger in Lomadia’s face, it was all they could expect from her at the moment. Lalna swallowed nervously, and followed after her, looking like a kicked puppy. 

As soon as they were in the kitchen, Lomadia whirled around, expression thunderous.

“Does Xephos know about this yet?”

Lalna let out an incredulous laugh. “Of course not. We’d both be dead if I told him.”

Lomadia gave him a reproving and unamused look, draining the humor from him. “You should tell him soon, Lalna,” she said. “The longer you put this off, the more he’ll be pissed.”

“I know, I know,” Lalna mumbled, sheepishly ducking his head. “I’ll tell him as soon as I think it’s safe. I wanna just get a little more settled in, so he can’t tell me that it’s just a phase.”

Lomadia snorted and shook her head ruefully. “You’re gonna have a helluva time with that,” she snorted. “But, she does seem like a nice girl.”

Lalna’s eyes lit up. “She really is,” he agreed eagerly. “She’s funny and so excitable. Knows damn near nothin’ about technomancy, and refuses to listen to me when I try to explain it.” Lomadia laughed at his pout. 

“I don’t blame her,” she teased, playfully punching his shoulder. “Half of the stuff you blather on about makes no damn sense. I tune you out, too.”

“Oi!”

“Let’s go back out,” Lomadia said, patting his shoulder. “I think we’ve left her long enough to stew in her thoughts.”

They went back into the living room, and Nano’s head shot up, back ramrod straight and eyes wide. She eyed Lomadia warily when the other woman offered her a friendly smile, but didn’t say anything as Lalna sat next to her.

“So, you need some runes,” Lomadia stated in lieu of a greeting.

The conversation went relatively smoothly after that. Lomadia wasn’t glaring daggers (or  _ reaching _ for any daggers), and Lalna seemed to be much more at ease, which put Nano at ease.

“Oh! Nearly forgot.” Lomadia rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a vial of green liquid. She pulled Nano’s cup closer and poured it in. “Drink that, would you?”

“What is it?” Nano asked warily, squinting down at it.

“The antidote to the poison I put in your tea,” Lomadia said, unconcerned.

Face paling, Nano quickly snatched up the cup and downed it in one go.

A few minutes and a transaction later, the duo left with their runes. Lomadia warmly told them that they were both welcome to come back any time, and that she’d make sure Nilesy was around at some point so he could meet Nano.

Lalna grinned at the fae as they walked down the sidewalk. “That went well,” he said. “She liked you.”

“She  _ poisoned  _ me.”

“Yeah, but she gave you the antidote. If she didn’t like you, you’d be—I dunno. Foaming at the mouth and convulsing on the ground or something— _ ow! _ ” Nano walked ahead of him in a huff as he rubbed his arm where she’d punched him.

“You should come meet my family,” Lalna urged her when he caught back up. “They’d love you.”

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that they wouldn’t,” Nano responded shrewdly.

“Naw, they definitely would!”

“Your aunt-- _ poisoned--me _ .”

“That was a one time thing,” he said, rolling his eyes and waving a hand as if she were being ridiculous. “She’s done stuff like that before. When she met Nilesy, she nearly put a kitchen knife through his chest.” 

“Jesus Christ.”

“She’ll be your best friend in no time.”

Sure enough, the next morning, Lomadia texted Nano (and who knew how she’s managed to find her number--the fae was going to have a serious talk with her employee about handing out her number) to invite her over for some tea.

***

More weeks passed. Nano now had a steady friend with Lomadia, and the two had a casual business agreement to help each other. 

And really, the whole situation was a mystery to Nano. She had no idea why the man had decided to be her best friend and coworker, and tried to completely meld his life with hers. It didn’t seem to be something of a crush—he was much too earnest to be able to hide those things.

Still riding the high of how well her meeting went with Lomadia, Lalna kept pushing for her to meet his family, but she refused each time. She didn’t think she could look into the face of the man who fathered Lalna when she knew that the whole situation looked like nothing more than a fae coercing a human into servitude.

The meeting had also brought out Lalna’s interest in Nano’s past life, much to her dread. She avoided his questions without any grace with unconvincing answers.

“So, where are you from?”

_ A cornfield in the middle of nowhere, completely lost and with no shoes on and no memories _ . “Erm, Kansas.”

“What was your family like?”

_ Well, I don’t actually have any family, or none that I remember. And the people who took me in, if you can count  _ them _ as family, left me for dead. _ “I didn’t have any parents. Don’t you know fae sometimes don’t have families? Good Lord, Lalna, you’re so insensitive.”

He’d spluttered in embarrassment, apologizing desperately, and the encounter stopped the questions for awhile, but didn’t stop them. It hurt her to stay quiet, but she knew it was just too hard to explain. She didn’t want to worry him.

And when the questions started becoming more pointed towards how she’d become infected by flux, she deflected even harder. She didn’t like the way his eyes lit up with intent interest whenever it was brought up.

***

Trott pulled on his jacket. “Right, we’re off,” he called out. “Sips, are you coming?”

“Are you kidding me?” the man exclaimed, stepping out of the bedroom. “It’s a Tuesday, you  _ know _ that’s my bowling night.”

Trott made a pained noise in the back of his throat, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I suppose I was thinking that a new and dangerous fae would be enough of a reason to skip out,” he grumbled.

“Hey, I’m your king,” Sips reprimanded him, wagging a finger. “You can’t talk to me like that. Besides, what am I gonna do with an angry and violent fae? I mean, I know all this king stuff gave me some powers, but I’m still human, thank you very much.”

Trott shrugged. “A stand of unity?”

“Oh, screw off. Go do your job, I command it.”

Rolling his eyes, Trott left, Ross next to him and Smith trailing behind.

The sidewalks were marginally crowded, the last of the lunch crowd making their way back to work or home. Everyone who saw the trio shot them fearful and wary glances and gave them a wide berth, knowing better than to try and shoulder passed them. Ross didn’t give anyone around them even a passing glance, while Smith was grinning roguishly at anyone who was staring at them too long, making more than a few people blush deeply.

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the wards on the shop did take him momentarily aback. The magical aura wasn’t menacing—that seemed counterintuitive for a new shop—but there was definitely a feeling that emanated that said this wasn’t a place to be messed with.

So that’s exactly what they were going to do.

The fae was, as expected, still in her shop when they arrived. She was sitting behind the counter, chewing gum and flipping through the magazine. She looked up when the trio walked in. Her gaze first went to Trott curiously, but when she saw the other two trailing behind him she rolled her eyes and made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat.

“I have no interest in any sort of bloody revenge you want, or any more offers,” she said in lieu of greetings.

Trott held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “We’ve just come to talk,” he said calmly. “I was told that things got a little heated the other day, and I wanted to make sure that things are cleared up.”

The fae didn’t look impressed, but didn’t say anything.

“I’m not sure if you were properly introduced, but this is Smith and Ross,” Trott said smoothly, gesturing to each of them. “I’m Trott.”

The fae gave him a wary look, and he saw the way her hand went to rest subconsciously on one of the bracelets on her wrist. The way the twine was braided and the specific stones and symbols identified it as a charm to keep the wearer safe from a fae’s charm. Trott sent Smith a disapproving look, who gave him a sheepish grin, having seen the same thing.

She heaved a sigh. “Nano,” she reluctantly introduced herself. 

Trott wasn’t phased by the strange name--it was common for fae to take on nicknames, or only use parts of their names, for the sake of privacy and safety. Hell, even  _ his _ name was a butchering of the name that his parents had given him when he was nothing more than a seal pup.

They were interrupted by a witch with vibrant red and orange hair opening the door. Her eyes widened minutely as she took in the scene she’d walked into.

“Maybe I should come back later,” she said slowly, already inching towards the door.

Nano heaved a heavy sigh, rummaging around under the counter before procuring a brown paper bag. “Just pay me next time, Kat,” she said, tossing the bag to her.

“Cheers.”

The witch disappeared as soon as she’d grabbed the bag, flinging the word over her shoulder with a quick wave.

“That’s daring, trusting people to pay you back later,” Trott remarked, cataloguing the woman’s face away to look more into her later.

Nano shrugged. “I know how to trust in the deals I make,” she said. “Who needs idle threats when you can have trust?”

“Not everyone is stupid enough to trust people.”

“Figured you’d say something like that. And what do you trade in, then? When you’re not charming humans and witches into your bidding, that is.” She sent a scathing glare at Smith, who responded with a leer.

They were finally on more familiar ground now. Trott knew how to play this game. A deal would be the best way to get on the side of a lone fae; it was the only currency that a fae ever wanted to live on, something that thrummed through their veins.

“We do need some new anti-possession wards,” Trott said, giving her an appraising look. “We haven’t got the stuff for them, though.”

Nano’s face smoothed out into a professional mask. “How strong do you want them to be?” she asked. “Additionally, I can make them for you, for a price.”

Trott grinned, leaning forward even more.  _ This  _ was a language he knew and was hoping for. Now, all he had to do was maneuver the conversation into a direction he preferred, and he’d have this fae too far down the rabbit hole to even think about not joining their court.

“I’m sure a deal can be struck,” Trott hummed, giving her a wide grin. “What do you n--”

“It’ll be sixty pounds.”

Trott stopped mid-sentence, eyebrows raised in surprise. “You don’t want a favor in return?” he asked when he was able to find his voice, sounding much less confident than before.

Nano huffed. “Favors don’t pay the bills, do they?” she shot back. “The only way you’re payin’ for this is with cold, hard cash. Take it or leave it.”

Brow furrowed, he finally dug out his wallet and pulled out some crumpled bills and handed them over. Nano plucked them from his fingers and folded them neatly before pushing them into her back pocket.

“Those’ll be ready by for you by Monday,” she said, standing up straighter. She pointed at the door. “You can go now. We’ve nothing else to talk about.”

Trott gave her a thin-lipped smile. “We’ll be back Monday evening, then,” he said, ignoring Smith’s incredulous noise. “I suppose we’ll leave you alone for now.”

“Yeah, that’s what I asked you to do, mate,” Nano snapped tersely at him.

He didn’t respond, instead choosing to zip up his jacket and turn away. “Have a nice night, Nano,” he said over his shoulder.

***

A half hour after the fae had left, Lalna returned from his food run.

“How’d it go while I was gone?” Lalna chirped, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack.

“It was fine,” she grumbled. “Had to deal with some idiots, but everything got figured out soon enough.”

“Who was it?” Lalna asked curiously, shifting the bag of food in his hands and moving towards the stairs with Nano.

“Some court that was trying to say I needed to pay them dues,” she sneered. “I sent them running, though. I think they called themselves the Garbage Court. Who names themselves—oi!”

The bag fell out of Lalna’s hands, and Nano rushed forward to grab it before it hit the ground. “Fuckin’ hell Lalna, don’t drop my food—“

“ _ The Garbage Court _ ?” Lalna screamed, his voice cracking. “Th-th-they came here?”

“Yes, they did,” Nano asked, brow furrowed. “Lalna, why are you acting like this? It’s not the first time I kicked them out—“

“ _ Not the first time _ ?”

Nano winced when his voice rose in pitch. “Yes, Lalna,” she said impatiently. “I knew that there were going to be some courts harassing me to give them money or allow myself to be walked over. What makes this one worse than the others?”

“No, no, this is bad,” Lalna moaned, walking back and forth in the living room. “This is  _ really _ bad. And you said you  _ threw them out _ ?”

Nano shrugged, putting the food on the counter and pulling out one of the takeout boxes. “Obviously I did,” she said. “What was I supposed to do? Give them half of my earnings? Not bloody likely.”

“They’re going to  _ destroy _ the shop,” Lalna said, voice filled with such agony and defeat that Nano finally started to feel some worry. “They’re the meanest and most vicious court in the whole city. They’ve destroyed entire groups of fae and beings for just  _ looking _ at them wrong.”

Nano hummed, opening one of the containers and taking the chopsticks out of their sleeve. “They sound like a bunch of arses,” she said.

“They’re worse than that, Nano! They’re ruthless. They don’t care about anyone but themselves. No one goes against them, especially not their neighbors. I can count on one hand the number of courts and fae in the city who are stronger and more influential than they are.” He was up and pacing around the room now.

“That’s not good,” she agreed with him.

“I bloody well know that! They’re all assholes, the lot of them. They throw  _ raves  _ where dozens show up dead, and-- _ will you please pay attention to me _ ?!”

Nano sighed, setting down her chopsticks. She leveled Lalna with a look. “I don’t know what you’re expecting me to say in this situation,” she said bluntly. “They came into  _ my  _ territory, so I dealt with them the way I saw fit. It might make problems in the future, but that’s just the way it is. I’m not going to align myself with any court, even if it kills me.” 

Aligning herself with groups was something she didn’t do. She wouldn’t do it again. She wouldn’t become vulnerable to another group of Sjins and Sips’ who could destroy the delicate life she was just starting to build for herself. Her involvement with Lalna, and subsequently the rest of his family, already had her on edge and panicked. She didn’t need any more connections.

She didn’t get to say any of that before Lalna threw up his hands with an angry shout and stomped down the stairs to the shop, where he spent the next half out muttering about dumb, suicidal fae, purposefully loud enough that she could hear him through the floor.

Eventually, he came back up, calmer than before but still obviously worried.

“Your food’s in the fridge,” Nano said, throwing away the containers from her own finished food. “Not sure it’s warm any more.”

Lalna grunted, and fished a sharpie out of the kitchen drawer. He took out the containers with his food and drew on some scratchy sigils that immediately started warming the food.

“I’m not gonna let this go, Nano,” he threatened, taking a paper plate and scooping out his now warmed food. 

“I know you well enough by now that you won’t,” Nano said, rolling her eyes. “You’re such a worrywart, Lalna.”

“ _ I’m  _ the worry--?” He stopped himself, taking a deep breath. “This isn’t something we can just joke away.”

“I really know it’s not,” Nano said, hopping up onto the kitchen island. “But you have to understand, I couldn’t let those chumps walk all over me. I know it’ll cause tensions, but it’s better than being under their thumb. I’d rather deal with the fighting and extra protection sigils and spells than with being forced to do whatever they want me to do, before they get  _ tired _ of me and I end up another body in the river or forced to leave everything I have  _ again _ .”

As she’d spoken, her voice had grown louder and louder, until she was shouting. She was breathing tightly with barely constrained rage, hands gripping the edge of the counter and purple skin swirling more erratically than was normal. 

“I-I didn’t know that’s what you were thinking,” Lalna said hesitantly, moving cautiously to lean against the counter across from her. “I, erm. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Nano swallowed hard, and roughly wiped at her eyes. “There’s nothing to talk about,” she grumbled.

“Well, that’s bollocks.”

“Yes, I’m  _ aware _ , but that doesn’t mean I want to talk about it.”

His pout was almost painful to look at. “You never talk about why you left wherever you came from, y’know.”

“I had to leave after…” She gestured to her purple skin. “When I had gotten back to our apartment, everything was gone. Cleared out.”

“By who?”

Nano sighed heavily, whole body slumping. She ran a hand through her short hair. “Five years ago, I was living with these two guys. They took me in after they found me in a field, with absolutely no memory of how I got there, who I was, nothing.”

Lalna made a surprised sound, leaning forward. “You couldn’t remember  _ anything _ ?”

“Nothing,” she repeated firmly. “I didn’t even know my own name. They had to help me find a new one.”

Lalna whistled between his teeth. “You were bloody lucky,” he said. “There aren’t many people who would willingly take in a lost fae in your situation.”

Nano’s heart leaped, and she let out a nervous titter. “Yeah, I was sure lucky,” she said. “But then, well,  _ this _ —“ she gestured to her purple skin “—happened, during an experiment gone wrong, and I had to leave them behind. And then I came here. The end.”

Lalna had stopped putting things away, staring at Nano intently. “So you can’t remember what happened exactly when you were infected with the flux?” he asked cautiously.

She gave him a glare. “Don’t think too much about it,” she warned him menacingly. “Just don’t.”

***

Lalna’s move into Nano’s house was practically a seamless transition. He’d already been spending the majority of nights at her house, and they’d established the traits that they hated and created a happy living situation. Nano threatened bodily harm when he left his dirty clothes strewn around the floor, and he would whine incessantly at her when she would watch soap operas well into the night.

When she had nightmares, he would come rushing into the room, sitting on the edge of her bed and hushing and soothing her. He would dodge whatever spell she lobbed at him before she was fully awake, and then would sit with her as she would bawl, shaking uncontrollably and desperately trying to wipe invisible flux off of her arms.

The first night she woke him up screaming, the story had come pouring out of her, with barely any prodding from Lalna. She’d sobbed about being locked in the room with the flux monster by the two men she had considered her close mentors, and then waking up alone, days later, confused and with purple staining her arm from where it had been lying in a puddle of flux. She told him about the voice of a hundred beings whispering constantly in her head, something that she had never even mentioned to anyone else.

“I need to get out of the house,” he said when Nano asked if he’d miss his family. “I love them, and yeah, it’ll be weird not being with them, but they’re bloody suffocating me. Besides, I’m already spending more time here than at the house.”

By then, Lalna was fully melded into Nano’s life. The wards on the shop and house no longer saw him as a threat or a foreign entity, and every time he came in, he was greeted with a warm wave of energy, an invisible, welcoming hug. He didn’t have to wait for the nausea that came with resisting wards to fade away, or for Nano to come home and let him in. It felt like a home.

***

It had been only a matter of time before she slipped up. 

It happened two months after Lalna had first moved in with her, which was frankly impressive, considering how many questions he asked and how relaxed she was around him.

The worst part was how trivial it was. She’d been watching Lalna as he handled some items that had just arrived that were made out of silver and had been blessed. It would burn her if it touched her skin, so she left all of the heavy lifting to her employee as she stared on wistfully.

“I wish I could still wear silver jewelry,” she sighed dreamily.

“What do you mean?”

She knew immediately she’d fucked up. She tried to make some excuse, but the damage was done, and the way she was frantically shrieking and throwing out random excuses wasn’t helping.

“Nano…”

The fae looked up fearfully, hands starting to shake as they clenched the box in front of her. Lalna was crouched next to her, face a mixture of awe and horror.

“You were  _ human _ , weren’t you?” 

She swallowed hard and nodded.

Stunned, Lalna sat down heavily, the satchels sliding from his grasp to fall limply on the floor. Nano didn’t look at him, keeping her gaze on the contents of the box.

“So…what you were telling me earlier,” he began slowly. “Was that all a lie?”

Logically, Nano knew what he was thinking. The only humans who turned into fae (outside of werewolves and vampires) were witches who dabbled deeply into black magic, purposefully shifting themselves into something inhuman to gain more power.

She finally shifted her gaze to land guiltily on him. “No, it’s the truth,” she told him, making her voice hard and earnest. “Everything. I-I was a human up until the accident. The flux…” she glanced down at her arm. “It changed me. I don’t know what happened, but when I woke up, I wasn’t human anymore.”

And then her entire story was spilling out of her and wouldn’t stop. 

***

“D-don’t tell anyone, alright?” Nano said in the silence that followed, voice small. “Not even your dads.”

“God no, I wouldn’t tell them,” Lalna said loudly, startling both of them. “This is something we need to keep secret. If this gets out, it’s gonna bring all sorts of crazy people around that we don’t need to deal with.” Nano bobbed her head in agreement, sniffling and wiping her nose.

It became a ritual that they would walk to a nearby diner when the nightmares were particularly bad and there was no chance for anymore sleep. On one night (which was technically only a few hours before morning), the two of them wandered to a nearby diner.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about something for awhile,” Lalna said absently, stirring his coffee.

Nano couldn’t help but snort. “Don’t hurt yourself,” she said around a mouthful of pancakes.

He shot her a glare that lacked any real heat. “It’s about the flux.”

Nano froze, the fork halfway to her mouth. The pieces of pancakes fell off the tines, and she slowly lowered her hand, full attention now on the man across the table.

“I don’t think I’m gonna like where this is going,” she said cautiously.

“No, hear me out,” he insisted. “I’ve been reading a lot of books these past few weeks--”

“ _ Weeks?! _ ”

“The Forest Court let me look through some of their books, and they’ve been there for thousands of years. A lot of stuff’s been forgotten, I’d reckon, but I found some things talking about some experimentation.”

Lalna leaned forward further in his seat, and there was a glint in his eye that set Nano’s stomach uneasy. “If it was an accident gone wrong, then there might be a chance to reverse it,” he said in determination. “Think about it. Every spell has a backdoor, even the deadliest ones. I think I’ll be able to find something if I dig a bit deeper.”

She was getting lightheaded now, and she was vaguely aware that she hadn’t let out a breath after Lalna had first said ‘flux.’ Her fingernails dug so hard into her palm she almost drew blood.

“It’s fascinating, really. Imagine what it could do if it was given an animation spell. I mean, it already acts like it’s alive—“

She couldn’t stand to listen to another word. Shoving her chair back, she threw her orange juice in Lalna’s face. He spluttered and squawked in confusion but she didn’t stop from leaving the room, anger and discomfort boiling in her stomach. Without thought, she stormed out of the diner, going into the cold, fall air.

After walking around aimlessly, Nano’s anger finally started to diffuse and was replaced with grief so overwhelming that she had to sit down on the nearest park bench.

It felt like everything was happening again. Lalna’s sudden interest and borderline obsession was dragging back memories she thought she had managed to bury under her new life.

She forced herself to take deep breaths and push through her panic. It was alright. He hadn’t done anything yet. If she had a sit down with him and explained things to him, then there was a chance Lalna would use the smarts she knew he had and realize how much of a shitty idea it would be.

It would be alright.

Nano forced herself to stay out for a few more hours until she’d calmed down enough that she could have a logical discussion with Lalna. She knew that if she came at him screaming, the stubborn bastard would want to do it even more.

***

Her worst fears came true when she opened the door to the basement in time to see the flux burst out of the bubble it had been contained in and splash over Lalna’s face. 

He screamed in pain, clawing at his face and managing to smear it onto his fingers and further on his cheeks. Nano rushed in and destroyed the flux with a vicious explosion, the spell singeing her fingertips and palm and sending a few droplets landing on her human arm. It tingled slightly, but otherwise went unnoticed as Lalna collapsed to the floor.

***

Xephos came into Lomadia’s house like a thunderstorm. The energy he usually had such control over was crackling around his eyes, blue and almost blinding. The walls seemed to shudder around him, curving in around the powerful witch. Behind him came Honeydew, out of breath from having to run after his husband and looking terrified.

The wizard’s eyes snapped to Nano, who was sitting on the couch next to Nilesy. He bee-lined straight for her before Honeydew could catch him and grabbed the front of her shirt, slamming her against the wall.

“ _ What did you do to him _ ?” he screamed. Nano was sobbing uncontrollably still, fat tears rolling down her cheeks and eyes rimmed with red.

“Xeph, calm down!” Honeydew exclaimed, trying to pull his husband back while Nilesy frantically shouted for Lomadia.

“Was this your plan all along, you fluxed bitch? Were you trying to taint him, ruin him so he’d be stuck with you forever?” Xephos pushed on, voice rising. The energy crackling around his eyes started to flicker around his hands, burning holes into Nano’s shirt and burning her skin.

“NO!” Nano screamed, eyes wide and horrified. “I never wanted this to happen, I t-told him he needed to stop experimenting with the flux, but he wasn’t listening to me!”

“Bullshit!” Xephos roared as Nilesy and Honeydew finally managed to get a grip on his arms and drag him away. “You’re a liar! You’ve  _ destroyed my son’s life _ !”

“What’s all this shouting?” Lomadia exclaimed over the commotion, flying down the stairs. “Xephos, get off the poor girl! Can’t you bloody well see she’s as torn up about this as you are?”

Nano took the opportunity to rush past Lomadia and take refuge downstairs, leaving the others in the room with Lalna.

“She’s  _ faking it _ ,” Xephos snarled, baring his teeth. “Those tears are fake. She’s happy with what happened. She nearly killed my son, just so she could have a  _ servant _ for the rest of her pathetically short life, and now he’s cursed.” 

His throat closed, cutting off what he was going to say, and all of the anger seemed to abruptly drain out of him. Nilesy and Honeydew slowly let go of him, and when he didn’t make a run for the door, they relaxed.

“It’s going to spread, isn’t it?” Xephos asked brokenly, staring down at the sleeping form of his son. “Do we know how long he has?”

Lomadia shook her head, making his stomach drop. “It’s not going to spread.”

Xephos froze, looking up at the witch in confusion. “Wh-what do you mean?” he asked in disbelief. “Flux always spreads.”

Lomadia sighed and pulled the other chair closer. “It was going to, but Nanosounds and I managed to make a spell so that she would accept the flux instead of him. He’ll still be purple, but it won’t spread. Hers will spread twice as fast, though. Her life’s been halved, if not more.”

Xephos stared at her blankly, unable to process what she was saying. Lomadia made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat.

“She saved his life,” she said bluntly.

“But… _ why _ ?”

“Because she loves him, you git. She was blubbering and screaming nonstop when she came to me, begging for some way to fix it. I had to give her two calming droughts and she was still a wreck.” She took a drink from her mug. “If you had been paying any attention to their conversations for the past six months, you’d know that she’s been begging him to stop studying flux poisoning.

“So,  _ in theory _ , he should be able to live a normal lifespan with only a small amount of repercussion.”

It started to finally sink in. His eyes widened, and tears of relief started to fill his eyes. He clung to Lalna’s limp hand and brought it to his face, kissing it. Lomadia watched him with a mixture of agitation and resignation before slipping from the room to give them privacy.

***

Nano stared at herself in the light of the bathroom, clothes tossed into a plastic bag to be properly disposed of at a later time. She brought her human hand up and dragged her fingers down her throat, where the purple had claimed more of her skin and would no doubt devour more in the coming days, months, years (if she was lucky).

It hadn’t even crossed her mind to say no when the idea had been brought up by Lomadia. Of  _ course _ she wasn’t going to allow Lalna to live with this curse, and have his whole life ruined. If there was any way for her to carry the burden that she had been responsible for (no matter how much she’d tried to dissuade him,  _ she _ had been the one to put the idea into Lalna’s head), then she was going to do it.

She pulled on the baggy sweater and leggings Lomadia had given her to change into and slipped out of the bathroom. Her plans for slipping out of Lomadia’s house were foiled when she came across the witch sitting in the kitchen, forlornly staring into the tea she was drinking.

Lomadia glanced up and Nano tried to give her a smile, but failed.

“You heading out?” she asked softly.

Nano nodded, swallowing. “I have to deal with the mess and start packing,” she said.

Lomadia made a sound of agreement and pushed herself off of the counter. For a horrified second, Nano thought she was going to throw a punch at her, and that her calmness was all a facade.

Instead, Lomadia pulled her into a tight hug.

“You’re welcome back anytime, or if you need  _ anything _ ,” Lomadia said, stressing the last word. “You don’t have to deal with this alone.”

Nano gave her a thin smile. “Tell Lal to feel better soon.”

***

Of course Lalna wouldn’t get the hint. Or if he did, he was too much of a fool to actually follow it.

The next night, Lalna entered the shop. The wards on the building had been broken, but the bell above the door was still there, and rang to let her know he’d entered.

He stood in the middle of the room and stared down at Nano. She was well into finishing her packing, with boxes surrounding her and two separate piles of things that needed to be burned in a ceremonial fire and things that could be salvaged. She didn’t look up at him and continued with her work.

“I’m surprised Xephos and Honeydew let you out alone,” she commented lightly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lalna’s lips twitch. “They’re down the street getting coffee,” he admitted. “What’re you doing?”

“Half of the stuff is gonna need to be thrown out,” Nano explained, taping the box in front of her closed. “Contamination. A lot of the herbs flat out shriveled into dust.”

“But...why’re you moving?”

“The grounds are tainted now.” She stood up and started collecting more items for another box, over half of the time tossing items into the throw-away pile. “Can’t do all of the incantations I need to.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

The room descended into silence, Lalna standing in the center of the room and watching Nano as she packed. She seemed content to ignore his existence as she continued, and that was what finally broke him. 

“ _ Please, _ yell at me, throw things at my head, anything,” he begged, dropping to his knees next to her and grabbing her shoulder. When she finally looked at him, his eyes were filled with tears. “I know you’re mad, so just--do something!”

“I’m not  _ mad _ at you, Lalna,” she sighed. She rubbed her forehead, pulling her arm out of his grasp. “I’m just...I’m sad. I really wanted you to not have to deal with this, and then you just ignore me and go trouncing around with flux.”

“I was trying to  _ help _ ,” he stressed desperately. “You just wanted to sit around let yourself waste away and I was trying to stop that.”

“It’s because I’m smart enough to know when to call it quits,” she said sharply. “I played with it, and this is the price I’ve paid.” She gestured to her mottled skin. “It’s already taken so much from me. And even if we somehow  _ could _ figure out how to work with it, what then? What would you want to do with it? Everything it touches is contaminated and destined to become apart of Mo--whatever it is. And if you can’t respect that decision, then I really can’t work with you, or be friends with you.”

Lalna seemed properly chastised, head lowered. “I just...I wanted to help,” he repeated softly. His eyes were filling with tears. “I couldn’t let you die without trying to do something.”

“I know,” she said, her anger already starting to filter out of her. “And I was just trying to protect  _ you _ from dealing with the same shit as I did.” She stared at the flecks of purple dotting Lalna’s face. Some of them almost looked like freckles.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He stared at her with his earnest eyes that were so sweet that it made Nano’s teeth ache. “This...it won’t happen again.”

“I can’t lose more to the flux, Lal. I’m serious. It’s...it’s destroyed my life once, and I’m not gonna let it do it again.”

“I promise,” he said with more finality.  He reached out and held her hand tightly. “I won’t screw with it anymore, I promise. Do you wanna make magically binding? I will make an actual, fae promise to you right now.”

“Christ, Lalna, you don’t need to do that,” Nano said, a laugh bubbling in her chest. She grabbed his hand before he could reach for something sharp to draw blood. “Are you nuts? You don’t go ‘round making deals and promises like that, especially to fae.”

His ears reddened. “I just...I dunno how else to make sure you know I’m being honest,” he said sheepishly.

“Sorry, bud,” she said gravely, “but you’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way: hard work and keeping your word.” 

Lalna gave her a small smile. “I think I can do that.”

“Good. Now grab some tape and start putting those boxes together.”

***

“How does your skin feel?”

“Erm, like I’ve been bruised. Bit tingly.”

“Have you noticed it moving at all?”

“I think it glows a bit, but otherwise no.”

“Has Mother talked to you at all?”

“Who?”

“Good.” 

***

She had to stay in a weird limbo for a few months after the incident. Finding a place on neutral ground that she could set up shop in was a lot harder than it seemed. In the meantime, she took up residence in Xephos and Honeydew’s guest room at their insistence.

Xephos was still uncertain around her, but there was something akin to wary approval when he talked to her. Honeydew tried to make up for it with extra cheerfulness, baking treats and chatting excitedly about having people in the house again.

“It’d be better with the other Lal, but he’s off at uni right now,” Honeydew said, beaming. “Studying engineering. He’s the top of his class right now.”

“Show off,” Lalna uttered into his soup.

Eventually, she found just the right place. It was bigger than the last place, and in a nicer neighborhood, with a cafe right across the street that was owned by a couple that had frequented her shop often. There were a few things that needed to be fixed, including the floors needing to be redone, which Lalna loudly declared he would take care of.

“You’re shit at anything to do with design,” he told her when she pouted. “Leave it to me.”

So, with the help of Honeydew, Lalna redid the floors and painted the walls tastefully. It took a lot of funds to buy all of the supplies that had been lost, and many sleepless nights to create more charms and trinkets. Xephos was kind enough to lend Nano his personal study, so she could continue filling orders from her customers.

The only real hiccup in their plans were when they found an infestation of silverfish, and when it was officially time to move in. Lalna was adamant about moving into the new place, despite Nano’s protests.

“Maybe you should just stay at home for a bit longer,” she said delicately. “Just until the shock of...everything...goes away.”

Lalna had snorted at that. “Nano, I’m totally fine,” he said. He gestured to the flecks of purple on his skin. “Not to be mean, but the worst has already happened.”

She couldn’t really argue with that logic, and she found herself moving Lalna in, with the help of a fretting Xephos who spent hours making sure every protection ward was in place before leaving.

Things went back to normal. Life went on.

***

Trott snarled in an uncharacteristic show of rage as he raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t find  _ anything _ .”

He was standing over a large plastic bowl, which was filled with a platinum liquid that glowed. He had sigils written with black Sharpie along the sides, and a few candles scattered across the dining room table, where he’d set up.

“Are you gonna be done anytime soon, Trott?” Ross called from the living room. “Sips won’t let us eat dinner unless it’s at the table.”

“We’re eating bloody Chinese takeout,” Smith grumbled, taking a swig from his beer. “And we eat on the couch every other night.”

“It’s Thursday night,” Sips reminded him pointedly. After becoming the king of the court, the human had instilled the tradition of all four of them actually eating at the table every week, a way to ensure that they always had some ‘normal time’ together.

“I’m almost done,” Trott snapped at them. “Let me do this spell one more time, and then I’m done.”

A few minutes later, Trott let out an aggravated yell and dumped the liquid down the sink, yanking the candles off the table and throwing them as well in the sink to douse them in water.

“Uh, everything alright, mate?” Smith asked cautiously as he entered the kitchen.

Trott whipped around and the kelpie flinched. “I just spent the last two hours searching for any fucking history on her, and I found  _ nothing _ ,” he snarled.

“Right, I think I’m missing a few things in this conversation. Who are we talking about?”

“ _ Nanosounds _ !” Trott shouted, throwing his arms up in the air. “I haven’t been able to find a trace of her up until a couple years ago. No family, no childhood, no  _ anything _ . Either she just bloody popped into existence one day, or she’s somehow managed to put a block on everything to do with her up until she was picked up by a flower witch off the side of the road.”

“Well, I mean, we already know that she’s powerful,” Smith ventured carefully. Sips and Ross entered the kitchen as well, carrying the food and laying it out. “It doesn’t seem unlikely that she would hide where she came from.”

“But that’s just it, it’s not that she’s just hiding it,” Trott growled. He ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. “There’s no magical trace. There’s  _ always _ something left behind. There’s  _ nothing _ .”

Ross shrugged. “It’s not exactly unusual for people in the city to not be connected to it,” he said from around a mouthful of food. “Lots of drifters and foreigners find their way here.”

“All of us here are examples that,” Smith snorted. “Well, besides Ross.”

Trott didn’t seem satisfied with their answers. They could practically see the gears turn in the selkie’s head as he angrily stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork.

“We’re gonna go talk to her again,” he said around a mouthful of food. “Give her another chance to talk as a housewarming gift, and beat it out of her if she doesn’t want to tell us.”

“Oh, so when  _ you  _ say something’s not right, then we all have to lose our minds, but when  _ I  _ say it, you completely ignore me,” Smith griped. “I was sayin’ she was bad news since the first time we met her!”

“With you, it’s hard to tell if you’re just pissy because someone’s stronger than you or if they’re actually a problem,” Sips snorted. “Remember that time with Zoey’s girlfriend?”

“Right, that was completely different,” Smith started to defend himself. “How was I supposed to know—“

“That’s enough,” Trott snapped at him. “Focus on the issue at hand.”

Sips rolled his eyes so hard it looked like it hurt. “Look, what I’m getting from all of this is that you have no clue how to secretly find out her secrets,” he said bluntly. “So maybe-- _ just _ maybe--you should try asking her. See what happens. Or quit bellyaching.”

Trott bit his tongue, stopping his retort. He knew that there was no point in arguing with the king. Heaving a sigh, he turned back to his supplies and started putting them away.

***

Nano bit her lip, typing out a text with one hand and drinking her tea from the other as she weaved through the crowds. It was evening, and all of the office workers were crowding the sidewalks, eager to leave and get home for the night.

She was supposed to drop off a delivery of poppets and a few other herbs for a customer, but it was getting increasingly difficult to track him down. He had apparently given her the wrong address, and she was now trying to hunt down the real address. She grew more frustrated as time went on--it had meant to be a quick drop off, and she had promised Lalna that she would watch crap TV with him tonight.

“Kim?”

She turned around without thinking, even though she hadn’t answered to that name in almost two years. She frowned in confusion, scanning the crowds. That voice had been familiar…

A man stepped closer, away from the others, and her eyes zeroed in on him. Her drink slipped out of her hand as she came face to face with Sips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pure self-indulgence tbh. This AU just inspires me so much and I s2g I'm gonna be writing it until the day I die lmao

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Comments/kudos are very much appreciated! If you wanna chat or have something for me to write, drop me a note: continuitygains.tumblr.com


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